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An autumn-coloured grassy ridge and sharp limestone peaks above the Grbaja valley, Montenegro

Sample journey · 10–12 days

Peaks of the Balkans: a trek through three countries' mountains

Theth, Valbona, Dobërdol, Rugova, Plav, Gusinje & Grbaja

Photo: Adventure Albania / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

The Prokletije are a limestone range where Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro meet. For a long time this was one of the most closed-off corners of Europe; today the Peaks of the Balkans trail runs through it, a walking route in a loop that crosses all three borders. Each day leads from one village or shepherds' camp to the next, dinner is taken in family guesthouses where the table holds home-made cheese, bread, honey and cornmeal, and nights are simple and welcoming.

This sample route is for experienced walkers: the days are long, the passes high and the comforts simple. You walk with a local mountain guide, luggage travels by vehicle or on horseback where possible, and the route could be walked as a couple, with friends or as a small group. The sections, rest days and level of stays would be chosen around your experience and the season.

The route

The journey

  1. Shkodër
  2. Theth
  3. Valbona
  4. Çerem & Dobërdol
  5. Milishevc & Rugova (Kosovo)
  6. Plav & Gusinje
  7. Grbaja & Vusanje
  8. Theth
  9. Shkodër
  1. The small stone church and meadow of Theth, with the sharp Prokletije peaks behind

    01Days 1–3 · Shkodër & Theth

    Into the valley beyond the pass

    The first night is in Shkodër by the lake, about an hour and a half to two hours by road from Podgorica or Tirana airport. The next morning, around three hours by car over a high pass into the Theth valley. Two nights in the village among stone houses, a small church and an old lock-in tower, the kulla. Day three is for finding your legs: a path along the river to the Blue Eye of Theth, a clear pool beneath the mountains, and the Grunas waterfall. In the evening your guide talks through the stages ahead and checks equipment.

  2. Sheep grazing a flowering mountain meadow in Valbona National Park, with a stony riverbed and peaks beyond

    02Day 4 · The Valbona Pass

    Over the pass to Valbona

    The first big stage: up from Theth through beech forest and stony switchbacks to the Valbona Pass at almost 1,800 metres, then a long descent into the next valley. Six to seven hours in all. At the top there is sometimes a plank-built hut serving coffee, and a view down both valleys. In the evening, a guesthouse in Valbona, the sound of the river and a dinner you'll have been looking forward to since midday.

  3. A clear green mountain lake among conifers and limestone crags

    03Days 5–8 · Dobërdol & Kosovo

    High pastures where three borders meet

    Four days furthest from any road. From Valbona the path climbs to the hamlet of Çerem on the border, and the next day to Dobërdol, a high shepherds' pasture on the Albanian side, close to the point where all three countries meet. Nights in simple shepherds' huts, with dinner from whatever the family makes: cheese, yoghurt, cornbread. On day seven the trail crosses into Kosovo and follows the ridges to Milishevc, and on day eight drops into the mountain villages of Rugova, past lakes and spruce forest. These are the longest and most remote days, so a guide and good preparation matter most here.

  4. A green mountain valley with a small house near Gusinje, beneath limestone peaks

    04Days 9–10 · Plav, Gusinje & Grbaja

    Down into Montenegro

    Day nine brings a long crossing of the border into Montenegro and down to Plav, a lakeside town of old stone houses and minarets. After days in the mountains: a real bed, a hot shower and the first café. On day ten, a short drive to Gusinje and a walk up the Grbaja valley, where the Karanfili peaks rise in sheer walls straight above the meadows. The night is in a family farmhouse in the village of Vusanje, at the head of the valley.

  5. The houses of Vusanje among autumn trees beneath steep mountain walls, Montenegro

    05Days 11–12 · Vusanje & the Peja Pass

    The loop closes

    The final stage: from Vusanje up the Ropojana valley and over the Peja Pass back into Albania, to Theth. Six to seven hours, a long climb and a steep descent, with a view from the top over the valley you set out from ten days before. The last evening is in Theth, in a guesthouse that now feels familiar. On day twelve, the road back to Shkodër and the airport.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    Three countries on foot

    Borders crossed not at checkpoints but on mountain ridges, along shepherds' paths.

  2. 02

    Nights on the Dobërdol pasture

    Shepherds' huts, a sky full of stars and cheese made on the spot.

  3. 03

    The Valbona Pass

    The classic crossing between two valleys of the Albanian Alps, finest in the early morning.

  4. 04

    The walls of Grbaja

    The Karanfili peaks above green meadows, one of the most striking mountain views in Montenegro.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • Shorter

    A seven- or eight-day version keeps to the Albanian and Montenegrin sections — Theth, Valbona, Vusanje and Grbaja — with part of the way covered by car.

  • With Lake Koman

    Arrive in Valbona by ferry through the Lake Koman gorge and start the trek from there, so the route begins on the water.

  • With rest by the sea

    After the trek, a few days on the Bay of Kotor or the Albanian Riviera to rest your legs.

  • Privately

    With a private guide the pace and sections can change day by day, and the hardest days can be split in two.

Practical considerations

  • This is a very physically demanding journey: most days last five to seven hours, the passes reach around 2,000 metres and more, the paths are stony and mountain weather changes quickly. Good fitness, sturdy walking boots and experience of multi-day treks are needed.
  • The season usually runs from June to September; in early summer snow may linger on the higher passes, and some guesthouses and shepherds' camps don't operate at other times.
  • The trail crosses the borders of Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro at remote points, so crossings are arranged in advance; we check the current arrangements with a local guide before each journey.
  • Stays are simple, family guesthouses and shepherds' huts, often with shared rooms or bathrooms, and in places the mobile signal is weak or absent.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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